The Steel Guitar Forum

Trying to avoid carrying two rigs for onstage sound with my 6-string lap steel and dobro (has a Schatten RG-03 pickup) Any suggestions on one amp that might handle both instruments for clean onstage sound with a fairly loud country-rock band in clubs that hold about 150 to 300 noisy people. I need moderate tube-amp distortion as well on the lap steel, but would use a stomp box for that. The dobro would also be miked, but only for the house PA to avoid feedback.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

I dunno. I'm beginning to think that one of the combos that's going to come out unbeatable for sheer durability and dependability is the Nashville 112 with a processor. "Tube Overdrive", or whatever.

Noisy People? Fairly Loud Country Rock Band? HEeehehehe....

150? Nvl112.

If they're 300 of what I'd call "Noisy people" I'd use my Nvl400.

300 Noisy People in a Country Rock Band in a club in Chicago?

That'd tip it to the 400...

You caught me while my HRD is in the shop for an "intermittent" problem that I NEVER have had with ANY peavey SSes. I used my 112 as a backup. Worked fine, like I knew it would.



EJL

How do the stomp boxes like Tube Screamers work out with the Nashville's? Close to a overdriven Fender sound? I like the breakup sound of the Lap Steel with a Fender Deluxe Reverb (reissue) on 6 or 7.

Shoot, y'know all this would be so easy if a local shop had steel guitar amps!-at least one or two.

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I haven't been "tubing" onstage long enough to compare fairly. The "Overdrives" that I've used for steel over the years, are just called on to be "boss tone type screaming", and the "breakup" you're talking about, I hope others can discuss for your benefit. I'd imagine there are some good'uns.



EJL

Well Eric you have my vote

The general overdrive/distortion question has been discussed quite a bit here on the SGF, but I haven't seen anything on the Nvl112 for stage sound with a dobro/reso pickup...

Might a good acoustic amp like a Crate do the dobro pickup and clean lap steel? The bigger Crate's have 2 channels which would be nice...

I've never found a guitar amp of any kind that sounded good with acoustic pickup/mic systems. The EQ section and speakers of an acoustic instrument amp are completely different from an electric instrument amp, and the tone of an electric guitar amp (no matter what preamp or EQ you try to run with it) always has a midrangy "honk" that's awful with acoustic guitar, and worse with Dobro. Just as trying to use one amp for clean steel and distorted 6-string, one amp for acoustic and electric is going to be a significant tonal sacrifice one way or the other.

I'm with Jim on this.

As far as compromising goes, I think you will have more success with an acoustic amp trying to to both jobs. Any electric amps I have tried with the dobro have been a disaster, but an acoustic amp with lap steel has been at least tolerable.

I have a Carvin AKG-100, and it's pretty good.

Maybe look for a Morley JD-10, and use it as a pedal into an acoustic amp. It's one of the few pedals that does low-gain, lightly overdriven tones well, and the on-board speaker simulator can take that harshness off the top. Not to mention it's an incredibly handy recording tool... since I got mine, I've hardly mic'd a regular cabinet for recording.

And fortunately there are a good number of brands and sizes of acoustic amps around as well as amp emulators to try out.

Very helpful, thanks!

And along the lines of what Dave is saying, I sometimes use a Danelectro compressor pedal with the lap steel and the acoustic amp.

went with an acoustic guitar amp with an amp emulator set on a Fender-ish sound for the lap steel...not bad at all.
Thanks!